Understanding ISIS and the threat to Christianity

Do you understand ISIS and the potential threats to Christians? Recently ISIS has been calling for “lone wolf operators” to take up the fight against non-Muslins. Threats have been made against the Pope and security at the Vatican has increased significantly. Additionally, Britain has advised their citizens to be very careful in traveling to vacation areas with strong Muslin populations such as Dubai, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Kenya. This month 20 foreign tourists were killed in Tunisia. ISIS is very skilled at using social media as a tool to promote their agenda and to recruit. Recently they have encouraged “lone wolf attacks” against non Islamic’s around the world. What does it mean to us?

First you need to understand the history and agenda of ISIS.

“The Islamic State is no mere collection of psychopaths. It is a religious group with carefully considered beliefs, among them that it is a key agent of the coming apocalypse. Here’s what that that means for its strategy—and for how to stop it.” Graeme Wood March 2015

Mr. Wood has provided a very in depth review of ISIS and what ISIS really wants. It is a long read, but I believe it has some very good insights. – Jack

What is the Islamic State?

Where did it come from, and what are its intentions? The simplicity of these questions can be deceiving, and few Western leaders seem to know the answers. In December, The New York Times published confidential comments by Major General Michael K. Nagata, the Special Operations commander for the United States in the Middle East, admitting that he had hardly begun figuring out the Islamic State’s appeal. “We have not defeated the idea,” he said. “We do not even understand the idea.” In the past year, President Obama has referred to the Islamic State, variously, as “not Islamic” and as al-Qaeda’s “jayvee team,” statements that reflected confusion about the group, and may have contributed to significant strategic errors.